Adolescents Need Immunization: Child and Adolescent Week Message

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Different names are assigned to age groups, but no matter what nomenclature is imposed,
be it infant, child, pre-teens, post-teens or plain adolescent or young adult,
children will always remain children. However for some strange reason
immunization or vaccination alone has been reserved for children up to the age
of 10 to 12 years only. Hence to emphasise the urgency of the matter, the
Department of Paediatrics at Sri Ramachandra University, Porur in Chennai,
conducted the Child and Adolescent Week, from 7th
to 14 November 2011. The theme for the year 2011 is 'Adolescent
Immunization- Need of the Nation'.

Adolescents Need Immunization: Child and Adolescent Week Message

Promoting
the message

The
week long programme focuses on health propaganda by meeting up with educational
institutions, distributing slogans as educational material and providing
immunization services up to the age of 18 years. The efforts had been well
received since 50 teams, each team with three participants, registered for the
health quiz. Dr. Sumanth C Raman was the quiz master of the event. Students
were also encouraged with cash prizes and certificates. While the quiz was for
11th and 12th
standard students, a simultaneously drawing competition for children from 1st
standard onwards also took place.

Need for Immunization

Adolescent
Immunization comprises of vaccination against Chicken pox, Typhoid,
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tetanus and so on. Parents
accompany children during immunization programme only till the age of 10 years,
and then the immunization care comes to a complete stop, which is one of the
reasons for the Indian Academy of Paediatrics decision to increase the age
limit from 12 years to 18 years. So if a child should be affected by chicken
pox during his or her exams, a lot is at stake for the child. Such contingency
can be avoided if the child is immunized.

Adolescent issues sorted out

One
of the adolescent issues dealt is between boys and girls. However the treatment
at the department is for physical ailments such as delayed pubertal growth.
Generally, adolescents require only a regular check-up and some adolescents
with common problems visit the centres. However there are adolescents with
chronic illnesses who have been patients since their early childhood where the
illness modifies their adolescence. For example a child with a heart problem
will realise the difference between other students and oneself.

Treatment Provided

Teenagers
need psychological counselling. Adolescents are cared for, through school
programmes and regular health check-ups and immunization. Common problems are
treated at OPD (Out Patient Department) where the children are advised on
personal hygiene and immunization. Chronic illness patients get more attention
because, either illness modifies the adolescence or the treatment modifies the
adolescence such as affecting their growth, puberty, psychological changes,
growth related changes, mental makeup, so when children come to realisation
they go through frustration. More than the disease the common cause of death is
suicide, violence and road traffic accident, all of which are preventable. Even
the chronic illness does not kill the child but the depression caused by the
illness, hence counselling services are vital.

Regular Day

On
a regular day, the paediatric department cares for out-patients and in-patients
catering to children and adolescents up to the age of 18 years. The Adolescent
Clinic was started in the year 1999 when the Indian Academy of Paediatrics
decided to increase the age limit of their patients from 12 years upto 18
years. Since then Adolescent Services, organ of the paediatric department has
been actively treating both out-patients and in-patients. The adolescent
services are supported by a multi-disciplinary approach involving department of
clinical psychology, psychiatry, gynaecology, endocrinology and developmental
unit. The department also has School Health Service where schools are
approached to look after the adolescent students. Immunisation services are
provided six days a week. Adolescent counselling services
are also integral to the overall programme designed by the department.

The programme was sponsored by Sri Ramachandra
University under the leadership of the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and Dean of
Faculties and Dean of Medical Colleges. Dr. L.N. Padmasani, HOD of the
Department of Paediatrics, SRMC and Dr. Latha Ravichandar were actively
participating and explaining the need for child and adolescent health and well
being to an enthusiastic crowd of children and adolescents

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